The present invention relates to a combined control/connector for cordless electrical water heating appliances such as hot water jugs and kettles.
Such appliances are provided with a base or stand upon which the appliance may be placed for the supply of electrical power to the appliance. The base is normally provided with a female socket connector which is connected to the mains electrical supply and with which a male pin connector of the appliance engages when the appliance is placed on the base to supply power to the appliance.
It is also normal to provide such cordless water heating appliances with a thermally sensitive control including a set of switch contacts which open in the event that for example, liquid within the vessel boils, or the electric heater element of the appliance overheats should the appliance boil dry or be switched on without water, to interrupt the electrical supply to the heater element. Such controls are often self-contained units which are mounted onto the appliance and which, for maximum manufacturing flexibility may be used in either corded or cordless appliances. An example of such a control is shown in applicant's co-pending GB Application No. 0109777.3.
The present invention is a development of this control the contents of the GB Application No. 0109777.3 being incorporated herein by reference.
In cordless appliances the male pin connector may be conveniently and commonly formed by a terminal pin connector of the thermally responsive control or by a terminal pin connector serving as an adapter, mounted on the male pin connector of a thermal control unit.
In each case the standard I.E.C. plug pin configuration of the horizontally-extending pins is placing constraints on the overall size and shape of connectors, resulting in a connector of unnecessarily large dimension and cost.
For example, both GB 2241390 of Otter Controls Ltd and GB 2263364 of Strix Ltd shows three terminal pins which project rearwardly from the control unit which make engagement with spring contacts in the female connector part. In EP 0490762 of S.E.B. SA the three pins extending from the control unit are of a “L shape”, the depending portions engaging the contacts in the female connector part. In GB 2209633 of Strix Ltd the terminal pins of the control unit extend rearwardly and by means of sleeves are connected to “L-shaped” pins. In GB 2221104 of Strix Ltd the horizontal terminal pins of the control unit are connected to vertical terminal pins through a sleeve-type arrangement.